Is it the ability to solve a problem, or to tell a story using a still frozen frame in time, is it marketing or fundamentals that make us stare at a piece for longer than two seconds?

From looking at the featured images this week it is clear that every artist enhanced the emotional appeal or hooked us in a way that makes us want to explore further and dive deeper into the meaning behind the brush strokes.

This fluffy creature looks so jovial that you'd want to hug it, only problem is that it may also kill you. But heck, life's too short and he looks too happy, let's be friends. Kaboom by Petrauskas is a fine example of an artist who is seeking more thrill in their life, the exaggerated portions, the light shape against the dark background and the sharp pointy nails tell us exactly what we don't want to hear. So big, so bold & so beautiful it puts you in a love hate relationship with a small minded creature that is more than likely to have your back in times of need. With that Mona Lisa smiley, shocked and confused look this one climbed up the features very quickly.

This Gnome is so rich with props, props that help us slowly piece together a background for where this creature might've come from, so rich indeed that Gnome and the Owl Companion doesn't even have a descriptive visual backdrop, just a drop of colour. The stylised chiseled beard and hands complement the rounded belly, magnifying glasses and the owl. The split-complementary colour scheme also goes a long way to complete this design. One of the reason I chose this and some of the others in this feature is because we catch these characters in mid-action doing something, a lot more realistic than a still character doing nothing. Only while writing this I also realised that this piece belongs to a newer admin from this group that I haven't met yet. Well done coMceptArt971

The contrast of light vs shadow, evil vs innocent, muted vs saturated colours, elegant vs eerie gives this design so much depth that like Kaboom featured above, you don't quite now whether you want to help her or let her seduce you into spell bounding witchcraft. Of course it gets deeper with her emotions telling us a story of a girl that wants to free herself from this black magic and her clothes are only their to draw you closer into her trap. Flora Witch Concept by Shetrix leaves us mesmerised and puzzled and we haven't even talked about the quality of render yet.

Where this piece lacks in tight polished rendering it more than makes up for in it's ability to tell a story. Lit from the strong lumens originating from a hovering machine above, this abandoned wasteland look like a still concept from 'I am Legend' movie. This piece aims to highlight an area which hasn't seen light in many years and textured brush strokes hint at the many possible narratives that can be drawn from this low key concept. Seven-teenth didn't hold back in his use of gory blood splatters to bring home the possibility of danger lurking close by.

There is more than a sense of depth in this final illustration for todays feature. This East Asian inspired countryside is peppered with hints of the viking era. From the Ork hammers to the use of big grey rocks, we are told from the get go that this is a marked territory even though it looks peaceful and friendly. Using the many leading lines embroidered in the tapestry of this design we are taken on a slow gentle adventure, and we get to soak in the beautiful ocean view on our way there. FieryStork created this illustration for a game and even the text on the bottom right seems like it's part of the illustration the way it's placed on the grid.

Well done for being featured in this weekly round up. Let me know your favourite pick from the featured images above, show the artist some love and comment, fav and like their work. More importantly, let us know why you like the work you like? Maybe you saw something that I missed out on. Share below and lead a conversation of exploration.

I'm happy to be back communicating with the community I love the most,